Idahoans for Choice in Education

Expanding Educational Choice for Idaho Families

The Union Simply Doesn't Get It!

Darrel Deide

The supporters of Proposition 1 recently published a twisted analysis of the failure of the measure to raise taxes for schools. Somehow, the leaders of the teacher's labor union - the Idaho Education Association - have convinced themselves that the number of votes cast for and against Proposition 1 is evidence that our schools are under funded. IEA President Sherri Wood's article on the subject neglects to tell you that the measure failed even after they and their friends in the California labor unions spent $2 million to fool you to raise your taxes in order to finance our schools. Our voters were bombarded by 30-second media messages and exaggerated sob stories about lacking school resources. Yet voters figured out the truth. They saw through the smoke and mirrors and could tell that out-of-state interests and greedy union bosses were trying to manipulate the public to accept an ill-conceived tax increase.

The bottom line is, Proposition 1 failed because Idahoans are smart. They understand that a great education isn't just about money. Money is a component, of course, but big spending does not equate to great education.

One need only look at states like Utah to know the truth. Utah spends less per pupil than Idaho, and has better education results than Idaho. In other words, isn't it possible that we're already spending enough on public education - that maybe we should look for ways to do a better job spending what we already have? Shouldn't we strive to understand how Utah successfully provides a great education and does it for a lot less money?

If there are schools that don't have enough books or new enough books or the proper computer equipment, it is the result of school administrations and school boards with misplaced priorities. Often school boards negotiate away unexpected revenues and new state appropriations, giving the money to teachers unions instead of putting the money into needed school supplies and other critical needs. It doesn't take higher taxes to fix this. It takes fiscal discipline, a willingness and an ability to direct our tax dollars where they are needed most and to tell the greedy labor unions "no" when their demands are put ahead of the needs of our kids.

Most school administrations have this discipline in place already. Some do not. They all need to be held accountable.

Our schools are not the first to misdirect the public's tax dollars.

They learn from the experts. Recently, Superintendent of Public Instruction Marilyn Howard handed out $120,000 in bonuses to virtually everyone on her staff. This money won't make our kids smarter or help them learn better. The only lesson we get from Howard's action is that it is very easy to clean out the cash register at all levels of education, and that no amount of money is ever enough, especially if the end results don't matter.

However, results do matter, and results are measured by student achievement, not the number of  votes cast on Proposition 1. The union leadership simply doesn't get it! It should start by embracing the reforms that the majority of Idahoans want to see in their public schools - things like more parental choice, better accountability, pay for performance, and greater efforts to get more of the money we are currently spending into the classroom. Results must be measured by growth in student achievement, not growth in the public school budget or how much money we spend per child.

Click here to return to Issues page

ICE-PAC

P.O. Box 933

Boise, ID 83701